OVERVIEW - Mythology and Folklore - LESSON 2

Mythology and Folklore

1. MYTHOLOGY & FOLKLORE MC LIT 2 DEFINITION

2. What is Mythology? What is Folklore? What is the Difference and Similarity between the two? What is the significance of studying this topic?

3. Definition of Mythology and Folklore Myths are usually understood as stories about gods or divine figures.  The  Meaning of Myth in common usage. the word myth refers to narratives or beliefs  that are untrue or merely fanciful; the stories that make up national or ethnic  mythologies describe characters and events that common sense and experience  tell us are impossible.  Nevertheless, all cultures celebrate such myths and  attribute to them varying degrees of literal or symbolic truth.  Myths are retold  orally from generation to generation and/or preserved in sacred collections or  scripture, often believed to have emanated from a deity or deities. 

4. Myths are not only the stories of so-called dead cultures and religions such as those of the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Norse, or Egyptians. Extraordinary and supernatural sacred narratives are central to Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Taoists, as well as to people of animist traditions to which the terms “pagan” and “primitive” have traditionally been applied with a negative connotation. Naturally, a story that is true in some sense for one culture is purely, in the common usage, myth to another.

5. Example of myths in religion Christianity : The story of Jesus Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection is a central myth of Christianity. According to Christian belief, Jesus was born of a virgin, performed miracles, was crucified, and rose from the dead to save humanity from sin. Judaism : The story of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt is a key myth in Judaism. According to Jewish tradition, God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and to receive the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Islam : The story of Muhammad and the revelation of the Quran is a central myth in Islam. According to Muslim belief, Muhammad received divine revelations from the angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years and taught the message of Islam to his followers. Hinduism : The story of the god Rama and his quest to rescue his wife Sita is a popular myth in Hinduism. According to the myth, Rama must overcome many obstacles and battle a demon king to rescue his wife and restore order to the world. Buddhism : The story of the Buddha's enlightenment is a central myth in Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha achieved enlightenment after meditating under a bodhi tree for 49 days and gaining insight into the nature of suffering and the path to liberation. Taoism : The story of Laozi and the Tao Te Ching is a foundational myth in Taoism. According to Taoist legend, Laozi was a wise sage who wrote the Tao Te Ching, a text that teaches the principles of the Tao, or the natural way of the universe.

6. Folklore is a collection of fictional stories about animals and people, of cultural  myths, jokes, songs, tales, and even quotes. It is a description of culture, which  has been passed down verbally from generation to generation, though many are  now in written form. Folklore is also known as “folk literature,” or “oral traditions.” Mythology and Folklore is an interesting course that has always brought a unique motif and deviation from the usual literary experience in literature study. In this module, you shall be introduced to the introductory topic of Mythology and Folklore from the Overview to the various genres and theories related to Mythology and Folklore.

7. History and Origin of Mythology and Folklore Mythology (from the Greek mythos for story-of-the-people, and logos for word or speech, so the spoken story of a people) Is the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or tables of a culture known as myths or the collection of such stories which deal with various aspects of the human condition: good and evil; the meaning of suffering; human origins; the origin of place- names, animals, cultural values, and traditions; the meaning of life and death; the afterlife; and the gods or a god. Myths express the beliefs and values about these subjects held by a certain culture.

8. What is the difference between Mythology and Folklore? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilIhWatZpAo CONTROL + CLICK TO OPEN THE LINK

9. Continuation…. Mythology and folklore are two things often mentioned in tandem and though in some cases they are very similar, they aren't the exact same. So what is the difference between folklore and mythology? In order for us to differentiate between the two, we first have to really understand what makes them so similar at their very core. Both mythology and folklore in basic terms are a form of storytelling. Perhaps the most ancient forms of narrative we have available to us today. You can consider folklore a subset or a branch of mythology and even vice versa depending on who you're asking. But more often than not, it does feel like folklore is the small fish in the much bigger pond. That is mythology where the difference between them can really be seen is within the stories themselves and what they attempt to explain to us.

10. Mythology often derives from what many consider to be sacred text. It aims to tell us about the time before we existed, how we and everything around us were created. These stories were often held as the truth and so they became part of many people’s religion. They discussed deities and supernatural figures that they believe to be involved in our creation at a time when our scientific knowledge was very limited. These stories provided explanations to things that we've only really began to understand when these religions lost their following or when they were absorbed into others. They began to be referred to as mythology. So even today's most practice religions in a couple of 1000 years from now could be seen as not much more than just stories of mythology where folklore differs the most from mythology is in time and scale mythology clearly focuses on the beginning of time. The explanation of civilization and culture.

11. Whereas the creatures, spirits and deities of folklore almost just exist without this need for a religious or cosmic connection. Folk tales are told on a much smaller scale and often tend to be exclusive to a specific village, town or city. They do at times include gods and goddesses in their stories, but they often do so for specific meaning or moral in mind that doesn't solely refer back to creation or divinity. The way in which tales of mythology and folklore traveled was naturally quite similar because at the time they didn't have things like printing houses and education wasn't as widely available as it is today, meaning many people just couldn't read or write. A select few poets and writers would eventually document these stories, Hence why we know so much about certain mythologies on a global scale. Although some folklore was documented in poems and various stories, it remained a more oral form of storytelling.

12. A legend that you might have heard of about a witch or some kind of monster might be quite different or even remarkably similar to one on the other side of the globe. And it's likely that you'll never know because many of these folktales are passed down through songs and dances. We will have that one story or legend local to our town or city. Japan is quite a good example of a country that has a large amount of mythology and folklore that coexist. It has, its to establish religions of shinto and buddhism where we get these tales of deities and kami that attempt to explain Japan's creation, but it also has a vast amount of creatures and cryptids that tie into much more local folklore.

13. So to summarize mythology and folklore are quite similar in terms of storytelling, but the main difference is an intention. What they aim to explain. One attempts to explain the universe to us and the other is a much smaller scale of storytelling that focuses on specific areas and individuals.

14. Few reason why studying mythology and folklore is important and significant even in the present time Understanding human culture: Mythology and folklore are an important part of human culture and have played a significant role in shaping our beliefs, values, and traditions. By studying these stories, we can gain a deeper understanding of human culture and how it has evolved over time. Appreciating diversity: Mythology and folklore vary greatly across different cultures and regions. By studying these stories, we can appreciate and celebrate the diversity of human culture and gain a greater understanding of different perspectives and worldviews.

15. Developing critical thinking skills: Mythology and folklore often contain complex themes and symbolism that require critical thinking to understand. By studying these stories, we can develop our analytical and interpretive skills, which can be applied to other areas of study and in daily life. Inspiring creativity : Mythology and folklore have inspired countless works of art, literature, and media. By studying these stories, we can gain inspiration for our own creative endeavors and appreciate the ways in which these stories continue to influence popular culture. Understanding contemporary issues : Many contemporary issues, such as social justice and environmentalism, can be traced back to myths and folklore. By studying these stories, we can gain a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural roots of these issues and develop more informed and nuanced perspectives on them.